"We need to talk."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"A… aren't you going to invite me inside your cell… house thingy?"
"Considering you are already standing on my lawn, it would seem you have already invited yourself in, Miss V."
"Oh… that's…"
"And I do not know if you can fit through the door, Miss V."
One would not necessarily call it silence, but there was definitely a sort of awkwardness lingering between the two. And considering V was currently inside a mecha suit that was twice the size of Riley, this awkwardness somewhat also doubled.
After a few seconds of this, however, V's mecha suit suddenly opened up, revealing her eyes which… surprisingly, did not emit trickles of green lightning. Riley could not remember V's original hair color; right now, however, it held a similar color to his.
"It… it turned like that after the incident," V muttered as she stepped down the suit, "And you don't have to worry about me losing control, Whiteking– your father made me something."
V then turned around, showing some sort of brace attached across her neck and shoulders; letting out a green light that was enough to blind someone stupid enough to stare at it for long.
"Can you invite me to your house now?"
"No."
"W… what?" V's eyes could not help but twitch as she heard Riley's nonchalant words.
"I am not sure yet if I want this to be my house during my stay here, Miss V," Riley then said as he passed V, finally stepping on his lawn as he made his way towards the house, "I killed two prisoners, so there should be another house that I can pick."
"...You what?"
"Come on in, then," Riley brushed off V's surprise as he opened the door, "This is actually the first time I will officially have a house of my own, Miss V. You will be my first… guest."
"Is… that so?" V patted her mecha suit; causing it to move on its own and take a seat on the ground; closing as V followed Riley inside the large house. And as soon as they entered, she could not help but widen her eyes.
The inside of the house was filled with paintings; the design, sophisticated– a mix of wood and metal with the natural color of concrete serving as its walls. It would have been alright at any other circumstance… but they were in prison.
The lives of these prisoners seemed to even be better than the majority of the citizens outside– minus the lack of freedom, of course. V then continued to follow Riley; and for someone who claimed that it was his first time entering the house, he seemed to already belong inside; quickly opening up the fridge with his telekinetic powers and… floating a jug of milk towards a countertop.
"Would you like some milk, Miss V?" Riley then said as he gestured for V to take a seat at the counter.
"...Water will be fine."
"Then get it yourself."
"..." V could only watch as Riley took a seat… on the sofa near the living area, leaving her sitting alone at the counter where he specifically asked her to sit. She was contemplating on whether or not she should really get a glass of water, but decided not to out of spite and instead just followed Riley to the living room.
"You really aren't used to having guests, aren't you, kid?" V said, knowing full well Riley was older than her by a year.
"I have a lot of guests, Miss V," Riley then let out a wide smile.
"Has anyone ever told you your smile is creepy as heck?" V scoffed as she took a seat on the sofa opposite Riley's, "Your mouth is wider than my future."
"I didn't expect you to have one after what happened to London, Miss V."
"That!" V almost stood up from hearing Riley's words. But after a few seconds, her legs started to tremble,
"That… that…. That wasn't my fault," she then whispered as she looked to the side, the light that was being emitted from the brace on her back, almost lighting up the entire room.
"It… it's not my fault," V then started hugging her legs, covering her ears as her head started to shake.
"No. It's not your fault, Miss V," Riley then shook his head as he took a sip of the milk he poured for himself,
"It is mine," he then said, "I landed right in the middle of London and let your power run wild. Please don't steal my feats, Miss V."
"No!" And this time, V suddenly gained the strength to finally stand up as she immediately waved her hand; the light being emitted by the limiter on her back, subsiding, "It… it's definitely not your fault!"
"No, I believe it really is my–"
"It's that creepy old man's fault!" V raised her voice, her screams, echoing throughout the parts of the house that Riley has yet to explore, "Because… because of him millions of people are dead. And you… It's not fair that you're here! He should be the one rotting inside this prison!"
"Alistair is dead, Miss V."
And contrary to V's exhilarated breaths, Riley just sat on the sofa calmly, taking a sip from the glass of milk as he turned on the TV. V, however, quickly grabbed the remote and turned it off.
"This is serious, Riley Ross! We shouldn't be here!" V stomped her foot on the ground, causing a ripple of lightning to lightly explode on the floor, causing it to crack.
"..." Riley looked at the cracked floor for a few seconds, before blinking a couple of times and turning his head towards V,
"We?" He then said, "I was under the impression that you are only visiting, Miss V. Could it be that you are also a prisoner here?"
"I am now!" V then once again took a seat on the sofa, "If the Government treats you as guilty, then they should also treat me like a criminal! I have also heard the deal of you joining the Hope Guild in exchange for your freedom, I'll wait here with you to–"
"I do not plan on joining the Hope Guild, Miss V."
"What!? What do you mean!? You would rather be stuck here all your life?"
"..." Riley then looked around his new fancy house, before nodding his head at V, "They have better accommodation than the Academy."
"You're a prisoner, Riley!"
"I have always been a prisoner, Miss V."
"Stop being so edgy! Aren't you cringing at hearing yourself!?" V clapped her hands several times, "Join the Hope Guild! Both your biological mother and adoptive father were and are in it, it's practically in the family for you! You… Ack! I give up!"
V then crossed her arms as she let herself drown on the soft sofa she was sitting on, "You'll take the deal sooner or later once you experience what prison is really like. Don't let this fancy house fool you, Riley Ross. This place is still the toughest and most secure prison in the entire world."
"You seem to also have a lot of experience being a prisoner, Miss V."
"Of course! Do you think I like being in that silly robot all my life!? If only Whiteking could make this limiter on my back permanent… but I still need to sleep inside the mecha suit while I'm here."
"Hm," Riley then took another sip of his glass of milk– but found that there was no more, "Which house will you be living in while you are here then, Miss V?"
"...Here."
"But this is my house, Miss V."
"Y… You can't really expect someone as beautiful as me to live alone surrounded by heathens!"
"You're not beautiful, Miss V."
"Wha– I am staying here! At least I don't have to worry about you taking advantage of me since you… well, since you're you."
"Autistic?"
"I… I didn't say that."
"Even if I wasn't, I would not take advantage of you, Miss V," Riley then shook his head as he stood up, "But since you will be living here, please handle washing the dishes, my sister and mother were the ones doing it back home."
"Wha– Do it on your own! Didn't you live alone during your stay in the Academy!?"
"I have Kath– Scarlet Mage doing it for me."
"Wait… the rumours between you and Scarlet Mage… are true?" V blinked a couple of times as she watched as Riley walked away, not even answering her question and… leaving the glass of milk on the table in front of her.
"Wait, you're actually letting me wash your shit!?"
"Just the dishes, Miss V. We're not that close," Riley's words became whispers as he slowly disappeared from V's sight.
"Where are you going!?" V was about to lift the empty glass of milk, before shaking her head and rushing to chase Riley.
"Outside, Miss V," Riley slightly turned his head towards V as she walked beside him, "I would…
…like to greet our new neighbors."
***
"Are you not going to accept the deal? Diana has already accepted it."
"I do not think it is any of your business, Adaeze."
In the meeting hall of the Hope Guild, the remaining members of the superhero team were all sitting around their table– their numbers, dwindling.
First, it was Bulwark, now V confined herself in prison even despite their counsel. And right now, Whiteking and the others were currently discussing whether or not Riley Ross should join their team.
"It is our business, Bernard," Empress crossed her arms as she looked Bernard straight in the eyes, "Do not forget…
…I know what your son is capable of."